Official, sold to Bayer Leverkusen: Xabi Alonso says goodbye, Raúl Asencio has won

The new Real Madrid coach, Xabi Alonso, is reluctant to consider the squad finalized as he waits for a possible last-minute signing. The Basque coach is aware of the needs the team has carried over from last season and intends to solve them before the start of the championship. The Madrid coach will have a hard time, judging by the words of his president, Florentino Pérez, who considers the transfer market closed.

The club president believes the club has already made a more than significant effort from an economic standpoint. Unless there is an unexpected sale in the coming days, it will be difficult for new reinforcements to arrive at Bernabéu. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso considers the arrival of a playmaking midfielder and a new center-back to partner Dean Huijsen essential.

Real Madrid sets sights on Sevilla

Xabi Alonso had found a good market opportunity at Sevilla: we're talking about Loïc Badé, a key piece this season in the Andalusian defense. However, the French center-back has a very interesting offer from Bayer Leverkusen. His youth and quality make him a great option for Real Madrid, but Sevilla are already far along in his transfer to the German team.

The big beneficiary of Loïc Badé not joining Real Madrid will be Raúl Asencio. Without competition from the Frenchman, Asencio will have more minutes than initially expected. The academy graduate has been criticized for his serious mistakes at the Club World Cup, which had led Xabi Alonso to want to strengthen the defense with another top-level center-back.

Raúl Asencio comes out ahead

Leverkusen and Sevilla are already negotiating Loïc Badé's transfer, which is now definitely moving away from Real Madrid. The transfer could be closed for €25 million. In this scenario, Xabi Alonso has decided that the best option is to bet on Raúl Asencio.

The academy graduate, who appeared at a moment of greatest need during last season, is currently the fifth center-back in the squad. Xabi Alonso trusts Huijsen, Rüdiger, Militao, and Alaba more than him. However, Raúl Asencio isn't giving up.

He knows that without the arrival of a new center-back like Loïc Badé, he still has a chance to turn the situation around. Even though Xabi Alonso doesn't fully trust him, Raúl Asencio doesn't want to miss the opportunity. He has a first-team contract and several more years on his deal, so he must show his best version to avoid being transferred in the future.